Air circulation fan

ABSTRACT

An air circulation fan includes a rod fixed to the ceiling and a motor is connected to the lower end of the rod. A base is connected to the motor and a cover is connected to the underside of the base. Multiple blades are connected between the base and the cover. A space is defined between the between the base and the cover. The fan has multiple outlets defined between the blades and communicating with the space. An inlet is defined through the underside of the fan and communicates with the space. Multiple filtering members are connected between the base and the cover and located on the periphery of the fan to cover up the outlet. Air is sucked from the inlet and circulates by the rotation of the blades, and passes through the filtering members and flows out from the outlets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is a CIP of application Ser. No. 14/259,546, filed Apr. 23, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Description of the Prior Art

Generally, when using an air conditioner to cool down the air temperature in a room, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the operation of the compressor of the air conditioner to let the air temperature to drop to the desired value. However, this action consumes a lot of electric energy, so that people uses a ceiling fan to accelerate the air circulation to reduce the time required.

The conventional ceiling fan generally comprises a motor which drives the fans to blow the air in the upper portion of the room downward. However, the hot air usually is located in the upper portion of the room so that the conventional ceiling fan blows the hot air downward, while the cold air is still located in the lower portion of the room, so that the air circulation is not efficient. The purpose of reducing the air temperature in the room mentioned above cannot achieve quickly, and the electric energy cannot be saved as expected. Besides, the downward blowing of the air can blow the dust on the floor and which is not good for the people in the room.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,738, the air filtration device has upper and lower portions integrally formed in one piece with the blades are housed thereinside. Therefore, the air filtration device and the blades are non-detachable, and it is uneasy for dis/assembing and replacement. The lighting fixture or other decorative accessory is entirely protrusive out of the lower portion of the air filtration device, thus obstructing the incoming air flow into the air filtration device.

In US 20080267779, each of the fan blades includes a lower portion having one or more ears extended downwardly therefrom and engaged through the slots of the lower plate, and bent or secured to the lower plate, for securing the fan blades to the lower plate. That is, to detach each of the blades, it has to unbend two end of each of the fan blades, thus being uneasy for dis/assembing and replacement.

The present invention intends to provide an improved ceiling fan that improves the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an air circulation fan and comprises a rod having a fixing portion fixed to a ceiling. A motor is connected to the lower end of the rod. The fan has a base, an annular cover and multiple upright blades. The base is connected to the motor and driven by the motor. The cover is horizontally connected to the underside of the base so as to form a space between the base and the cover. The blades are connected between the base and the cover. The blades are arranged along the periphery of the fan. Multiple outlets are defined between the blades and communicate with the space. An inlet is defined through the underside of the fan and communicates with the space. Multiple filtering members are connected between the base and the cover and located on the periphery of the fan to cover up the outlets. Air is sucked from the inlet and circulates by the rotation of the blades, and passes through the filtering members and flows out from the outlets.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an air circulation fan wherein the rotation of the blades of the fan sucks air from the inlet and generates spiral air flows which flow out from the outlets via the filtering members. The cool air in the lower portion of the room is sucked upward and circulates with the hot air in the upper portion of the room so that the temperature of the room can be quickly reduced by the mixture of the hot and cool air. The filtering members filter the air to increase the quality of the air in the room.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the air circulation fan of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another exploded view of the air circulation fan of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 shows that the filtering members are to be connected to the air circulation fan of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another angle to show that the filtering members are to be connected to the air circulation fan of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, viewed from the underside of the air circulation fan of the present invention, and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view to show the air flows through the air circulation fan of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the air circulation fan of the present invention comprises a rod 10, a motor 20, a fan 30 and multiple filtering members 40.

The rod 10 has a fixing portion 11 on the top end thereof and the fixing portion 11 is fixed to a RC truss 50 or a solid board, and the lower end of the rod 10 extends through a ceiling 51 and reaches into the room.

The motor 20 is connected to the lower end of the rod 10 and wires (not shown) from the motor 20 are connected to the power source and switch so as to control the operation of the motor 20.

The fan 30 comprises a base 31, an annular cover 32, multiple upright blades 33, multiple shafts 34 and a cap 35. The base 31 is connected to the motor 20 by multiple bolts 310 so that the base 31 is driven by the motor 20 to rotate in one direction. The base 31 has a protrusion 311 extending downward from the central portion thereof. The protrusion 311 has a curved outer surface and the diameter of the protrusion 311 is gradually reduced along the curvature of the curved outer surface of the protrusion 311. The cap 35 is connected to the underside of the protrusion 311. The base 31 has a recess 312 defined in the top thereof and the motor 20 is accommodated in the recess 312. The base 31 has multiple blade slots 313 defined in the underside thereof and the blade slots 313 are located around the protrusion 311. The base 31 has multiple engaging holes 314 defined in the underside thereof and the engaging holes 314 are located close to a periphery of the base 31. The cover 32 is horizontally connected to the underside of the base 31 so as to form a space 36 between the base 31 and the cover 32. The blades 33 are connected between the base 31 and the cover 32. The blades 33 are arranged along the periphery of the fan 30. Multiple outlets 37 are defined between the blades 33 and communicate with the space 36. An inlet 38 is defined through the underside of the fan 30 and communicates with the space 36. The cover 32 has a U-shaped cross section. The cover 32 has multiple restriction slots 320 defined in the top thereof, each restriction slot 320 is defined between two restriction blocks. The cover 32 has multiple positioning members 321 on the top thereof. The top end and the bottom end of each of the blades 33 are respectively engaged with the blade slot 313 and the restriction slot 320 corresponding thereto. The blades 33 each is posed an angle relative to the radial direction of the base 31, so that air in the lower portion of the room is sucked from the inlet 38 and circulates by the rotation of the blades 33, and passes through the filtering members 40 and flows out from the outlets 37.

Each of the blades 33 has a passage 330 defined axially therethrough. A shaft 34 extends through the passage 330 of each of the blades 33. Two ends of each of the shafts 34 are connected to the base 31 and the cover 32 respectively. The top end of each of the shafts 34 is connected with a nut 340.

The multiple filtering members 40 connected between the base 31 and the cover 32 and located on the periphery of the fan 30 so as to cover up the outlets 37. The top side of each of the filtering members 40 is engaged with one of the engaging holes 314, and the bottom side of each of the filtering members 40 is connected with one of the positioning members 321.

When the fan 30 is rotated by the motor 20, the blades 33 that are posed an angle generate spiral air flows, the air in the lower portion of the room is sucked from the inlet 38 and circulates by the rotation of the blades 33, and passes through the filtering members 40 and flows out from the outlets 37. By this way, the cool air and the hot air in the room is quickly mixed to each other so as to reduce the temperature of the air in the room quickly. It is noted that the air passes through the filtering members 40 increases the air quality in the room.

Specifically, the base 31 and the annular cover 32 are detachably connected with each other by a plurality of shafts (such as threaded bolts) 34 which extend transversely relative to the base 31, thus being easy for dis/assembing and replacement. The cap 35 is entirely located within the space 36 and not protrusive beyond an underside of the cover 32, so that more air can be sucked into the space 36 without obstruction. The motor 20 is disposed partially within the cap 35, entirely located within the space 36 and not protrusive beyond the underside of the cover 32. Each of the blades 33 has a slit 331 communicating with the passage 330 (as shown FIG. 2A), for easy and flexible installation of the shafts 34 (even the shafts are slightly different in diameter). Each of the shafts 34 is radially protrusive from the slit 331, and the shaft 34 has a diameter larger than a widthwise span W of the slit 331 (as shown FIG. 4A), thus enhancing the structural strength of the blade 33 and improving the combination of the shaft 34 and the blade 33. However, the shaft may have a diameter smaller than a widthwise span of the slit. The slit 331 is open toward a direction in which the motor 20 rotates. However, the slit may be open toward a direction which is opposite to the rotation direction of the motor 20.

Preferably, two ends of each of the blades 33 are respectively received within and freely axially withdrawable from the blade slot 313 and the restriction slot 320 corresponding thereto, thus being easy for dis/assembing and replacement.

The cover 32 has an annular inner convex wall 322 which is radially convex toward the cap 35. A distal end 323 of the annular inner convex wall 322 extends within the space 36 and is higher than the cap 35 relative to the base 31, for smoothing the incoming air flow into the space 36. The cap 35 has a bottom convex face 351 which is axially convex away from the motor 20 and is lower than the distal end 323 of the annular inner convex wall 322 relative to the base 31, for the smoothing incoming air flow into the space 36 and guiding the incoming air flow to the blades 33. The motor 20 includes an axle 21 axially extending toward the cap 35, the cap 35 includes a receptacle 352 opposite the bottom convex face 351, and the axle 21 is received within the receptacle 352 and not protrusive beyond the cap 35, thus stabilizing the motor 20.

The multiple outlets 37 are circumferentially continuously communicated to form an annular opening 39, and the multiple filtering members 40 circumferentially annularly cover the annular opening 39, thus providing better filtering effects.

The air circulation fan of the present invention can quickly mix the cool and hot air to each other so as to cool down the air temperature in the room and to let the air conditioner be functioned efficiently.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An air circulation fan comprising: a rod having a fixing portion on a top end thereof and the fixing portion adapted to be fixed to a ceiling; a motor connected to a lower end of the rod; the fan having a base, an annular cover and multiple upright blades, the base connected to the motor and being driven by the motor, the cover horizontally connected to an underside of the base so as to form a space between the base and the cover, the blades connected between the base and the cover, the blades being arranged along a periphery of the fan, multiple outlets defined between the blades and communicating with the space, an inlet defined through an underside of the fan and communicating with the space, and multiple filtering members connected between the base and the cover and located on the periphery of the fan so as to cover up the outlets; wherein the base and the annular cover are detachably connected with each other by a plurality of shafts which extend transversely relative to the base; wherein the base has a protrusion extending downward from a central portion thereof, and a cap is connected to an underside of the protrusion; wherein the cap is entirely located within the space and not protrusive beyond an underside of the cover; wherein the motor is disposed partially within the cap, entirely located within the space and not protrusive beyond the underside of the cover.
 2. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a curved outer surface and a diameter of the protrusion is reduced along a curvature of the curved outer surface of the protrusion.
 3. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the blades has a passage defined axially therethrough and a slit communicating with the passage, each of the shafts extends through the passage of each of the blades, and two ends of each of the shafts are connected to the base and the cover respectively.
 4. The fan as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shaft has a diameter larger than a widthwise span of the slit, and each of the shafts is radially protrusive from one said slit.
 5. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a recess defined in a top thereof and the motor is accommodated in the recess.
 6. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has multiple blade slots defined in an underside thereof, the cover has multiple restriction slots defined in a top thereof, two ends of each of the blades are respectively received within and freely axially withdrawable from the blade slot and the restriction slot corresponding thereto.
 7. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover has a U-shaped cross section.
 8. The fan as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover has an annular inner convex wall which is radially convex toward the cap.
 9. The fan as claimed in claim 8, wherein a distal end of the annular inner convex wall extends within the space and is lower than the cap relative to the base.
 10. The fan as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cap has a bottom convex face which is axially convex away from the motor and is lower than the distal end of the annular inner convex wall relative to the base.
 11. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor includes an axle axially extending toward the cap, the cap includes a receptacle, and the axle is received within the receptacle and not protrusive beyond the cap.
 12. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has multiple engaging holes defined in an underside thereof and the engaging holes are located close to a periphery of the base, a top side of each of the filtering members is engaged with one of the engaging holes, the cover has multiple positioning members on a top thereof, a bottom side of each of the filtering members is connected with one of the positioning members.
 13. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is connected to the motor by multiple bolts.
 14. The fan as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the blades is posed an angle relative to a radial direction of the base.
 15. The fan as claimed in claim 3, wherein the slit is open toward a direction in which the motor rotates.
 16. The fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple outlets are circumferentially continuously communicated to form an annular opening, and the multiple filtering members circumferentially annularly cover the annular opening. 